3D printing: a useful tool for safe clinical practice in children with complex vasculature.

BACKGROUND: 3D printing has been used in different medical contexts, although it is underutilised in paediatrics. We present the first use of 3D printing in the management of three paediatric patients with complex renovascular disease. METHODS: Patient-specific 3D models were produced from conventional 2D imaging and manufactured using 3D polyjet printing technology. All three patients had different underlying pathologies, but all underwent multiple endovascular interventions (renal artery balloon angioplasty) prior to 3D printing and subsequent vascular surgery. The models were verified by an expert radiologist and then presented to the multidisciplinary team to aid with surgical planning. RESULTS: Following evaluation of the 3D-printed models, all patients underwent successful uni/bilateral renal auto-transplants and aortic bypass surgery. The 3D models allowed more detailed preoperative discussions and more focused planning of surgical approach, therefore enhancing safer surgical planning. It influenced clinical decision-making and shortened general anaesthetic time. The families and the patients reported that they had a significantly improved understanding of the patient's condition and had more confidence in understanding proposed surgical intervention, thereby contributing to obtaining good-quality informed consent. CONCLUSION: 3D printing has a great potential to improve both surgical safety and decision-making as well as patient understanding in the field of paediatrics and may be considered in wider surgical areas.

Pediatric renal transplantation-A UNOS database analysis of donor-recipient size mismatch.

BACKGROUND: We used the BSAi (Donor BSA/Recipient BSA) to assess whether transplanting a small or large kidney into a pediatric recipient relative to his/her size influences renal transplant outcomes. METHODS: We included 14 322 single-kidney transplants in pediatric recipients (0-17 years old) (01/2000-02/2020) from the United Network for Organ Sharing database. We divided cases into four BSAi groups (BSAi ≤ 1, 1 < BSAi ≤ 2, 2 < BSAi ≤ 3, BSAi > 3). RESULTS: There were no differences concerning delayed graft function (DGF) or primary non-function (PNF) rates, whether the grafts were from living or brain-dead donors. In both transplants coming from living donors and brain-dead donors, cases with BSAi > 3 and cases with 2 < BSAi ≤ 3 had similar graft survival (p = .13 for transplants from living donors, p = .413 for transplants from brain-dead donors), and both groups had longer graft survival than cases with 1 < BSAi ≤ 2 and cases with BSAi ≤ 1 (p < .001). The difference in 10-year graft survival rates between cases with BSAi > 3 and cases with BSAi ≤ 1 reached around 25% in both donor types. The better graft survival in transplants with BSAi > 2 was confirmed in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant impact of donor-recipient size mismatch on DGF and PNF rates in pediatric renal transplants. However, graft survival is significantly improved when the donor's size is more than twice the pediatric recipient's size.

Utilizing 3D printing to facilitate surgical in-situ paediatric renal artery aneurysm repair for refractory hypertension.

Renal artery aneurysmal (RAA) disease is a rare, but potentially life-threatening cause of renovascular disease presenting with hypertension. Conventional management involves aneurysmal excision followed by renal auto-transplantation. We present the management of a 13-year-old girl with complex multiple saccular aneurysmal disease of the left renal artery with hilar extension and symptomatic hypertension. We used 3D printing to print a patient-specific model that was not implanted in the patient but was used for surgical planning and discussion with the patient and their family. Endovascular options were precluded due to anatomical complexities. Following multi-disciplinary review and patient-specific 3D printing, she underwent successful in-situ RAA repair with intraoperative cooling, without the need for auto-transplantation. 3D printing enabled appreciation of aneurysmal spatial configuration and dimensions that also helped plan the interposition graft length needed following aneurysmal excision. The models provided informed multidisciplinary communications and proved valuable during the consent process with the family for this high-risk procedure. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case utilizing 3D printing to facilitate in-situ complex repair of RAA with intra-hilar extension for paediatric renovascular disease.